The state government today dismantled the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) camp at Gidhni near the Bengal-Jhargram border where a Maoist squad shot four jawans dead on Sunday.

The remaining 23 jawans at the EFR camp were withdrawn to the barracks largely because the attack has broken the morale of the force, senior officials said. Security threat was also cited as the reason behind the move.

In the top echelons of the state police, many said the chief minister’s open challenge to Maoists was “politically incorrect” and the four jawans paid the price for it. “It needs more tact and patience to deal with the Maoists,” said a senior police officer.

“The policemen at Gidhni have become shaky and their morale is low because of the attack. That is why we will have to bring in fresh blood from other camps,” said IG Anil Kumar of the West Bengal Armed Police after inspecting the camp at Gidhni.

Yesterday, around 5.50 pm, armed Maoists attacked and killed four EFR jawans outside their camp at Gidhni market in West Midnapore district. The Maoists also took away two AK-47 rifles, one SLR and one Insas rifle. The owner of a cycle shop, Durbadal Choudhury, was also shot in the leg and has been admitted to Jhargram sub-divisional hospital.

Kumar, who met the jawans, said the EFR personnel were taken off-guard. “They never anticipated this kind of attack and were in a relaxed mood that one cannot afford in a high-security zone. The Maoists took full advantage of that,” he said.

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